Chapter 30: Taunt!

Chapter 30: Taunt!

“Brother Biao, I…”

Tang Hu hesitated slightly. After hearing Tang Jinbiao’s words, a trace of that unyielding spirit stirred within him.

“What? Do you think you can’t even handle a Qi Condensation Fourth Layer cultivator?” Tang Jinbiao’s face turned stern as he asked in a tone close to questioning.

“Hmph, Qi Condensation Fourth Layer? Not just Qi Condensation Fourth Layer—even Qi Condensation Sixth or Seventh Layer, I can handle them! Because I’m a first-rank advanced Body Refiner now, and in such a confined space, even cultivating high-level skills would be useless! As long as I get the chance, I’m not afraid of Qi Condensation Layer Eight cultivators either!” Tang Hu’s face showed a trace of scorn, as if those Qi Condensation cultivators weren’t worth his attention.

“So what’s the issue then? Tomorrow, so many Qi Condensation cultivators are participating! As long as you don’t face eighth or ninth layers, at least seventy or eighty won’t be your match—why fear? And excluding those few Foundation Establishment Cultivators, won’t only a dozen or so opponents remain? Do you really believe your luck is that bad? Not a single win?” Tang Jinbiao was a bit stunned hearing Tang Hu’s words. Though he could see Tang Hu was a Body Refiner at a glance, he hadn’t expected someone so young to reach an advanced rank. Evidently, Tang Hu had trained for a long time and devoted immense effort.

“Brother Biao, this…” Tang Hu still lacked confidence.

“It’s fine, relax! If you guys can’t handle it, isn’t Brother Biao here? If any of those bastards dare lay a harsh hand on you, Brother Biao will surely avenge it! And—what about you few? How confident are you?” Tang Jinbiao patted Tang Hu’s shoulder firmly while speaking earnestly, then turned to the other three youths.

“As long as it’s not beyond Qi Condensation Seventh Layer, I can manage it! Even against top-level cultivation skills!” One youth seemed to gain confidence from Tang Jinbiao and Tang Hu’s expressions, nodding firmly and speaking with pride.

“Good! Not bad! You ought to get a few wins—you can’t take ‘zero eggs’!” Tang Jinbiao felt mildly pleased inside. He hadn’t expected these youths, though living in darkness, to still yearn for light in their hearts. Was that true mockery?

“Zero eggs?” That youth seemed unfamiliar with the term, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

“It just means no wins at all—like an egg scoring zero! Hah, you must’ve skipped kindergarten to bully little kids, right?” Tang Jinbiao chuckled while clapping his hand on the youth’s head in explanation.

“Hehe!” The youth touched his head, still baffled, and could only respond with a foolish giggle.

“And you two?” Tang Jinbiao turned back to address the other two youths.

“I’m like Brother Hu! Anyone below Qi Condensation Layer Eight is no problem!” One youth replied promptly.

“I can only handle up to Qi Condensation Sixth Layer at most. Higher than that, I’d probably lose!” The remaining youth scratched his head and spoke apologetically.

“Haha, it’s nothing! Anyway, you shouldn’t worry too much. Those Elders won’t send us against Qi Condensation Ninth Layer cultivators right off the start!” Tang Jinbiao cheered up after assessing the situation.

“Mhm, Brother Biao is right! We won’t give up!”

“Hmm, we believe in Brother Biao!”

“Brother Biao, from now on we’ll follow your lead!” Several fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys began one by one to regard Tang Jinbiao as their leader in their hearts, swearing their allegiance.

“Haha, no problem, no problem! Starting from today, as long as Brother Biao gets a bite of meat, you’ll get broth! Don’t worry, following Brother Biao, you absolutely can’t go wrong!” Tang Jinbiao was also very happy. For some reason, he particularly enjoyed this feeling of being surrounded, especially with these people calling him “Brother Biao” over and over; it made him feel exceptionally comfortable inside.

“Hmm, not bad, not bad! Truly worthy of the inheritor I, Huang Biaozi, selected!” However, Tang Jinbiao didn’t know that Huang Biaozi had witnessed this entire scene, a look of appreciation in his eyes, clearly pleased with this promising student.

“Hmph! A bunch of clowns surrounding a piece of trash!”

“Aiyoyo, Brother Jinbiao! So this is where you were!”

“Ah yaya, my Brother Jinbiao! How did you run off to here? Little brother has been searching for you diligently!” Yet, just as Tang Jinbiao was feeling euphoric, several jarring voices suddenly rang out from nearby.

Click, click! Hearing the words ‘Brother Jinbiao’, Tang Jinbiao immediately broke out in a cold sweat and began trembling involuntarily.

“Pfft! Brother Jinbiao, don’t be scared! Little brother won’t eat you!”

“Haha!”

“Trash!” The newcomers seemed to see Tang Jinbiao trembling and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Fuck! You two annoyances, Tang Xingchi and Tang Huaxi! If I don’t beat the hell out of you tomorrow, my name isn’t Tang Jinbiao!” Recognizing the voices instantly, Tang Jinbiao cursed silently in his heart.

“It’s them!” The younger boys like Tang Hu involuntarily retreated behind Tang Jinbiao when they saw it was Tang Huaxi and the others.

The group consisted of four people: Tang Huaxi, Tang Xingchi, Tang Shan, and another youth who somewhat resembled Tang Xingchi – Tang Xingmo, who had won the fifth match during the daytime Qi Condensation Sixth Layer competition.

“Brother Jinbiao…”

“Brother Jinbiao your sister! Spit it out! What do you want with me?” Tang Xingchi’s pale face flushed with a touch of excitement as he tried to keep calling Tang Jinbiao. It was unclear if he had some particular fetish, but he always seemed especially thrilled whenever he uttered the words “Brother Jinbiao”. Tang Jinbiao, however, cut him off roughly.

“Yo yoyo, Brother Jinbiao, you sure could…”

“Could what, your sister! If you have something to say, say it quick! If you have a fart, let it out! Don’t waste my time! I’m a busy man, tens of thousands come and go every second!” Tang Huaxi seemed ready to jump in, but Tang Jinbiao similarly cut him off roughly.

Having been rebuffed outright as soon as they started, Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi’s expressions shifted slightly. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they adopted a knowing smirk, then turned to look at the young man standing among them.

He wore a long cyan robe and looked quite handsome, but an air of harshness lurked between his brows. His gaze, fixed on Tang Jinbiao, was filled with disdain, yet thick within that disdain was also threaded a strand of hatred. This man was precisely the one Little Lü had warned him about: one of his major enemies, Tang Shan. Reputed as one of the Tang Family’s geniuses, barely eighteen years old, he was already at the Late Foundation Building Stage. In the short span of a few months, he had advanced from the Mid Foundation Building Stage Tang Jinbiao had first encountered to the Late Stage, a testament to his extraordinary cultivation talent.

“It’s you!” Tang Jinbiao naturally recognized him instantly. He had seen him back when he first arrived in this world, though he had been in a daze then and hadn’t paid much attention. But after Little Lü’s warning, he had taken note. Moreover, when he entered the competition grounds during the day, the other had made no effort to hide his hatred. Recognizing Tang Shan instantly, Tang Jinbiao felt a twinge of nervousness.

Tang Shan’s cultivation level, like that goddess Tang Yilin’s, was the Late Foundation Building Stage. Such power was completely beyond his current ability to provoke. According to Huang Biaozi, at best, Tang Jinbiao could currently deal with minor cultivators at the Qi Condensation fifth or sixth layer. Cultivators at the eighth or ninth layer? Couldn’t even think about it. As for Foundation Establishment cultivators? That was beyond his wildest dreams. He had merely wanted to strut his stuff for his new followers. Felt like a fox stumbling upon a tiger!

“Hmph, trash! Heard you switched to practicing some sort of Body Refining Technique? Reached early success? Heard you also plan to lead a bunch of misfits to participate in tomorrow’s competition?” Tang Shan’s eyes were still full of disdain, his tone lofty and arrogant. He even felt that speaking to Tang Jinbiao diminished his status. Yet, deep within his gaze, that strand of hatred persisted.

He struggled to accept that he had once lost to such trash, forfeiting his chance to study at the Divine Wind Academy. He was resentful. He desperately longed to fight the Tang Jinbiao of the past, confident that now, after advancing to the Late Foundation Building Stage, he had both the hope and the strength to battle properly. But that opportunity was gone. Because the person standing before him had long since transformed from a past genius into useless dregs. This filled the depths of his heart with profound resentment.

“Aiyaya, Brother Shan! How can you stoop to speaking with such trash? Talking to him drags you down!”

“Exactly, Brother Shan! How can you ignore your status like this? You’re one of the Tang Family’s three great geniuses! If others heard or saw you talking to such lowly gutter trash, how could you face anyone afterward?”

Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi, who just a minute ago had been affectionately calling out “Brother Jinbiao, Brother Jinbiao” repeatedly, now, in the briefest moment, began calling him “trash” at every turn.

“Enough. My business is not your concern.” Tang Shan lifted a hand, waving it slightly to halt their jeering. His complex gaze remained firmly locked on Tang Jinbiao. “Tang Jinbiao. Answer me. Are you participating in the competition tomorrow?”

“Heheh, long time no see, Tang Shan, the great genius!” Looking at their faces, Tang Jinbiao suddenly felt an urge to laugh, though he suppressed it. Wearing a knowing smirk, he chuckled softly and offered a greeting. He deliberately emphasized the word ‘genius’, seemingly intending to mirror their mockery.

“Answer me!” Tang Shan remained cold and disdainful, his voice flat.

“Hah! What do you think?” Tang Jinbiao let out a laughter tinged with fury and shot back.

“Little brothers, let’s go!” With that, he turned, called to his ‘little followers’, and strode away grandly. After walking about ten paces, Tang Jinbiao raised his right hand high, extended his middle finger, and made a big, scornful gesture…